Caramel Apples And Candy Apples Aren't The Same

While the terms caramel apple and candy apple are often used interchangeably, they aren't actually the same thing. Both caramel and candy apples (sometimes called "candied apples") contain a thick, sweet exterior coating. This makes the apples visually appealing (especially to kids), festive, and much, much sweeter than normal apples. However, the biggest difference between caramel apples and candy apples is the coating. The coating for caramel apples is a thick, gooey caramel. Meanwhile, the coating for candy apples is heated sugar water. 

To make the perfect caramel sauce for your apples, combine brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup over high heat and then dip your chilled apples in the mixture once it slightly cools. You can also melt pre-made caramels or caramel chunks in a saucepan to create the coating. When the caramel sets, the apples will have a soft, gooey exterior. To make candy apple coating, you use white sugar, water, and corn syrup. Red food coloring is also added to give it a vibrant red appearance. These ingredients are also heated on a stovetop at a very high temperature, and the apples are dipped and coated in mixture while it is boiling. When the apples cool and dry, the exterior texture becomes hard and crunchy.

There are other key differences between caramel apples and candy apples, as far as taste and texture goes. After cooling and setting, a caramel apple coating remains soft and sticky. It should still be easy to bite through. Because the caramel is less sweet than a candy coating, you can use it on any variety of apple, even super sweet ones like Gala, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady. You can also add sweet or salty toppings to your caramel apples, like chocolate, nuts, or sprinkles.

Because you apply a candy coating to apples while it's still boiling and it sets rapidly as it cools and dries, it easily sticks to the outside of the apple. However, caramel may resist sticking to your apples due to their waxy coating. (Luckily, there is a secret to getting caramel to stick to apples.)

It's best to add toppings to candy apples before the coating sets. After the apples dry, the coating is hard, crunchy, and sticky, and may be difficult to bite through. Candy apples look vibrantly red, and shiny or glossy. The candy coating has a very sweet taste, so it's best to use semi-sweet or tart apples, or one of the other best apples for making candy apples.